Belarus MPs pass bill allowing the prosecution of deceased for war crimes

The lower chamber of the National Assembly - the House of Representatives  - has passed a law "On amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code of the Republic of Belarus" in two readings, sb.by reports. If the law is approved by the upper chamber, the Council of the Republic, and signed by Aliaksandr Lukashenka, deceased can become defendants in criminal cases.

The idea originated in the General Prosecutor's Office. In early June, it submitted a bill draft to the House of Representatives. Previously, criminal proceedings against deceased were possible only in one case - to rehabilitate a person. But today, "in this difficult time, given the changed realities," it is necessary to expose "all those responsible for the genocide of the Belarusian people," argued Maryna Liancheuskaya, a member of the Parliament's National Security Committee.

If adopted, the new rules set out that it will be impossible to refuse to initiate and terminate criminal proceedings against a deceased person accused of preparing or waging aggressive war, an act of international terrorism, genocide, a crime against the security of mankind or other crimes specified in Article 85 of the Criminal Code of Belarus.  At the same time, the body conducting the criminal case must find relatives of the deceased defendant to represent his or her interests. It is also stipulated that the deceased defendant must have a lawyer.